Los Angeles Police Department

A Good Day to Die Hard, and to Die Alone

When John McClane lost his family, the movies lost much of John McClane

Human Rights Body Criticizes U.S. for NYPD's Policing of Occupy Wall Street

New Yorkers, if they've been paying any attention at all, have known for a long time that the way the NYPD treats journalists and protesters doesn't exactly live up to what you'd expect in a democratic society with a free press. Now, it looks like the NYPD's actions in relation to Occupy Wall Stree ... More >>

SST Records Legend and Music Scribe Joe Carducci on His New Book and Throwing Sonic Youth's Cassette Into the Demo Pile in 1985

By Brad Cohan Joe Carducci not only played a monumental role in helping run and co-own SST Records in its glorious 1980's heyday when Black Flag, Minutemen, Hüsker Dü and Meat Puppets were the reigning kings of the Amerindie underground, but he also famously penned the lyrics for the Minutemen's ... More >>

Dr. Drew Officially Is The Grim Reaper; Another "Celebrity Rehab"-er Bites The Dust

In what can only (and extremely sarcastically) be described as a staggering loss for humanity, "Celebrity Rehab" alum Joey Kovar has reportedly died from a drug overdose outside of Chicago.This puts the tally of dead Celebrity Rehab "stars" at three.If you're unfamiliar with "Celebrity Rehab," it's ... More >>

Scientology's Oklahoma Nemesis, Bob Lobsinger: "They Lied Every Step of the Way"

On Saturday and Tuesday, we gave readers some background on the Scientology drug treatment center in Oklahoma -- called Narconon Arrowhead -- that is now the center of controversy after four recent deaths which are under investigation, three just since October. Tonight, a report by Rock Center's H ... More >>

Scientology Gets a Smooch from the L.A. Times

In 1990, just before he and his colleague Joel Sappell were about to publish a landmark series exposing Scientology's secrets in the Los Angeles Times, Robert Welkos found that someone had placed in a manila envelope against his home's front door a brochure from a mortuary, encouraging him to plan h ... More >>

How You Can Help a Film About Kate Bornstein Happen (Plus: Scientology Sunday Funnies!)

Filmmaker Sam Feder has opened Kickstarter funding for a documentary about recent Village Voice cover gal Kate Bornstein. Go to Sam's page to find out how you can help finish the project!

Is Lisa Marie Presley Telling Off Scientology in a Song?

For a couple of days now, our excellent tipsters have been alerting us to this new song from Lisa Marie Presley. It's not that they're big Lisa Marie fans -- although this song really isn't bad, I must say. No, the reason Scientology Watchers are fascinated by Lisa Marie's new single, "You Ain't S ... More >>

VIDEO: Proof that L. Ron Hubbard Was the Most Awesome Human Being Ever

Just a few weeks after the Scientologists at Ruth Eckerd Hall in Clearwater, Florida experienced it for themselves, here it is: video from this year's L. Ron Hubbard birthday event. On March 13, LRH would have turned 101 years old (if he hadn't so wisely dropped his meat body in 1986 to research hig ... More >>

Scientology Sunday Funnies: RON the Encyclopedia -- Get Yours Now!

Scientologists don't really have a Sunday service. They like to say that they do, because they crave mainstream acceptance. But unless Xenu rested after six days and L. Ron Hubbard just forgot to mention it, there's no reason for Scientologists to treat Sunday any differently than every other day of ... More >>

So, Lenny Dykstra's Finally Going To Prison...

​In what appears to be the culmination of what essentially has been a 20-year crime spree for former New York Mets outfielder Lenny Dykstra, "Nails" was sentenced this afternoon to prison time after pleading no contest to one count of grand theft auto -- and he still has charges that he whipped it ... More >>

The Strange Death of Flo Barnett, Mother-in-Law to Scientology Leader David Miscavige

We were stunned when Debrah Kitchings said it: in the 26 years since she investigated the odd death of Mary Florence "Flo" Barnett for the Los Angeles County Coroner, she has not once been asked by a reporter about what she remembers of the case. Only once in that time, she says, was she ever aske ... More >>

Police Misconduct: A Bad Cop Getting Worse in Rampart

Someone Paid $25,200 for a Painting of a Chase Bank on Fire

Alex Schaefer​People really hate banks right now, so much that they are willing to take money out of those banks to buy pictures of those banks on fire. Alex Schaefer, who painted this lovely oil on canvas of a Chase bank on fire and then put it up for sale on eBay -- drawing attention from ea ... More >>

The Top 25 People Crippling Scientology, No. 19: The Squirrel Busters

​On August 5, we started a countdown that will give credit -- or blame -- to the people who have contributed most to the sad current state of Scientology. From its greatest expansion in the 1980s, the church is a shell of what it once was and is mired in countless controversies around the worl ... More >>

It's 'Unfollow Charlie Sheen on Twitter' Day. So Do It.

In case you just woke up (literally or figuratively), there was a major earthquake in Japan that led to a major tsunami in Japan. Hundreds have been reported killed, and the death toll is likely to rise. Annnnd here's what our boy is tweeting, after the LAPD raided his house based on a tip that he w ... More >>

One-Size-Fits-All '80s Nostalgia in Take Me Home Tonight

City Spent Nearly $1B To Settle NYPD Lawsuits

​An Associated Press report finds that the NYPD has spent nearly $964 million since 1999 to settle lawsuits, claiming its taxpayer-subsidized payouts "dwarf" those of other American cities. How does it all break down? Even better: Why are we paying hundreds of thousands of dollars to settle mu ... More >>

Spike Lee Gives It Another Go on a Michael Jackson Brooklyn Bash

We caught our neighbor — people who work for him, anyway — putting up a fresh sign on his garage door yesterday in Fort Greene. Our neighbor, Spike Lee (who, thanks to a block profile this weekend in the Times, everyone now knows is our neighbor), is finally going to host his birthday pa ... More >>

The Morning Ink: Monday, March 29th, 2010

​So starts our morning news roundup. Today: the housing law in New York you're probably breaking right now. The hot ticket that is President Obama's Passover Seder. Lindsay Lohan's yayo "uh oh," a riot at Rikers, Christian Militia madmen, and more. Here's what's in the news this morning:

News Roundup: Bruce Springsteen, Dead Weather, Michael Jackson, Another Diesel Party

--The Dead Weather, who we saw at the Bowery last April, long ago sold out their gigs at Terminal 5 this Thursday and Friday, but the band will play a free show tomorrow at noon at the Third Man Records pop-up store store at 131 Chrystie Street. The one-off is first come, first serve. We recommend b ... More >>

In The Temperamentals and Next Fall, Same-Sex Couples Refight Old Battles

Aborn gets a Bratton Boost

Dark horse Manhattan DA candidate Richard Aborn (pictured) picked up an all star endorsement this morning from ex-NYPD and current Los Angeles police commish Bill Bratton. Speaking on a conference call with reporters from Washington where he said he was attending -- what else, a conference -- Bra ... More >>

Angelina Jolie Suffers For Us All in Changeling; Zinedine Zidane Watches a Good Game in A 21st Century Portrait

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Dirty Blonde: High Times at the Bell House

The Union Hall crew opens another spot, and adds to a surprising resurgence

TABLOIDED: Super Week!

Ghost World

A pair of sunshine noirs go in search of Hollywood's heart of darkness

Detective Comics

Showbiz noir investigates TV Superman's real-life tragedy

License to Shrill

Sedgwick's grating detective ingratiates herself despite all her gimmicky quirks

The Seekers

The birth and life of the '9-11 Truth movement'

No More Coffee Talk

A California court bans performance activist Reverend Billy from preaching at Starbucks

Big Plan on Campus

As Its 250th Birthday Approaches, Columbia University Hits Its Stride

Persecuting Pee-wee

A Child-Porn Case That Threatens Us All

The Untouchables

Temples of the Familiar

Y2Care

Millennium Movies Get a Second Chance

Gang Slang

O.J. Simpson Meets Puff Daddy

Scapegoating Sean Combs to Get Back at Johnnie Cochran

Waking the Dread

Music for the Masses

Tips for Tricks

Inspecting Ourselves

Media Critics’ New New Thing

Truth or D.A.R.E.

The Dubious Drug-Education Program Takes New York

The Reflective Rudy

Memo to file: Rudy Giuliani, April 4, 1999

Look Who's Talking